February 13, 2018

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IDC: Essential shipped less than 90,000 phones in 2017

by John_A

Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone found its way into our best-of lists this holiday season and had a couple of great price drops, including a $399 Cyber Monday deal. Still, the phone doesn’t seem to be doing very well. According to a tweet from IDC research director Francisco Jeronimo, the phone sold less than 90,000 units in the first six months after it launched.

. @Arubin’s @essential smartphone is still a long way from becoming a successful venture. In 2017, it shipped less than 90K units (first six months after launch) pic.twitter.com/NHVlA2Gjzr

— Francisco Jeronimo (@fjeronimo) February 12, 2018

Even if Essential had sold twice or three times as many phones, it would still be a long way off from disrupting Samsung or Apple dominance in the market, with the latter company selling over 1 million iPhone 8s and Xs per day according to Forbes. Of course, this is a startup and Essential Phone is its first product. No one expects Apple-level shipments right away. Still, the number is pretty low, especially given the hype around the device. The Rubin-led company has had several snafus in getting its flagship phone to market, too, including months-long delays and lawsuits claiming that Essential’s accessory technology is stolen.